A Balancing Act

Millions of people have blogs. Only a fraction of them do it well enough to achieve real benefit, in terms of income, visibility, or sheer entertainment. It's a balancing act. I'm going to point out three areas for you to consider before you join the band of bloggers. While it's simple to start a blog, it takes vigilance and skill to do it really well, as is true of any kind of writing. Here are some things to keep in mind. 

 

Comments

Blogging can be a lonely business but when I hear from my readers the act of writing and posting becomes interactive, exciting and social. I really do love your comments! They make this all worthwhile. I try to respond to each one. Anti-spam programs including Askimet protect my comment form, so sometimes a real comment will make its way to a spam or moderation folder. I don’t moderate comments other than to make sure they’re not smut or spam. If you’re reading this I hope I’ve encouraged you to drop me a line or two. I’d love to hear from you.

Keep in Touch

If you like my blog I hope you will consider subscribing. I keep two blogs; one is simply an example for teaching purposes: Echo Between Us, on Blogger. My real blog is connected to my website: www.lindalaroche.com/blog and I use Word Press. There is a simple way to subscribe; just click on the right orange logo to the left of The Quill. You’ll receive an e-mail with each new post. I’m also active on Twitter https://twitter.com/lindalaroche07 and to a lesser extent Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lindalaroche07.

Disclosures

As the author of How to Write Short Stories to be Proud Of, I occassionally have a sale. Most bloggers profit from advertising or sponsorship from other companies. However, in both cases, it's peanuts. When a blog makes a bit of money it helps pay for web hosting and other fees associated with running the blog, but I've yet to put topple over from the imbalance of fat pockets, so my blog posts and time are currently uncompensated. I very much hope my readers will click on the Buy Now button on the right and consider purchasing my Ebook. 

 

I believe in full disclosure, so if someone wants to sponsor an article I will consider it and specifically mention it in a post. Whether a post is sponsored or not, as the Editor In Chief of the Quill, I only write about the things I love, things that I think about, that stir something inside me, or writing tips that have worked for me, to share with you. Writing, expression and sharing are my passion. When I see students forming little clusters talking about what they are doing and what they have learned, it makes my heart sing. My aim is to be honest yet positive. What I remark as good writing or needing improvement in a class or on my blog is subjective and I cannot guarantee that you will feel the same way. Whether you agree or disagree with me, please voice your opinion. I enjoy hearing from you!